Underneath It All
by egyouppt
Summary: We weren't friends before, he had told her. And that had hurt. Because they HAD been friends before. She remembered. Puck/Rachel.


**A/N: So this little nugget idea of a story wouldn't leave me alone. So I decided to write it so I can get back to working on my in-progress stories and my beta reader duties. It's a one-shot.**

**It's also my first foray into writing in the present tense, so I hope you think it turned out okay. Please review and let me know your thoughts.**

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Disclaimer: I don't own or profit from Glee. If I did, Finn would sing a Decemberists song.

* * *

"I just hope we can still be friends," she tells him. She really does. Noah has a hard exterior, she knows that, but underneath it all, he has a heart. And a relatively good heart, at that.

He looks at her briefly. "We weren't friends before," he says despondently. And then he walks away.

Rachel watches him go. _We weren't friends before._ That hurts. Because they _had_ been friends before. She remembers.

* * *

A ten-year-old Rachel Berry watches as Noah Puckerman picks a daddy long leg off a tree at throws it at their science teacher. Mrs. Jensen is taking her fifth grade science class on a field trip today. They're at a State Park, observing nature and listening to the Park Ranger ramble on about the difference between coniferous and deciduous trees. Well, half-listening.

Noah smirks as Mrs. Jensen screams, looking around for the perpetrator. Thankfully, she's a little too dumb to suspect Noah; even though the rest of the class knows it's him. It's a good thing Cheyenne isn't here today. Cheyenne is a first-class teacher's pet and the only person who would _dare_ to rat out Noah to Mrs. Jensen.

Noah nods at his friend Rachel when he sees her smiling brightly at his antics. Rachel is a little weird, but she makes him laugh and she builds the best sand castles ever, so he's content with being her friend.

"Do you think she's going to figure out it was you?" she asks him, amused.

Noah grins. "I doubt it. And if she does, what's she gonna do? Nobody messes with me! I'm Noah!"

Rachel frowns suddenly, deep in thought.

"What is it?" he asks worriedly. He thinks he'll probably never get used to her mood swings. Even when they get older and get married and all that other boring grown-up stuff he isn't in the mood for thinking about.

"I'm just thinking," she says noncommittally.

Noah shrugs. She'll tell him eventually.

"Come on," he says, grabbing her arm. "We're getting ready to go see the snakes. This is gonna be the best part of the day!" He punches the air with his free hand and pulls her along.

Rachel laughs at Noah's enthusiasm. She finds it amusing how he's always trying to prove he's tougher than everybody else. She'll never tell him that, though. She knows his vulnerable feelings are something only she knows about him. And it had taken considerable brow-beating to get him to open up. So for now, she's happy to watch him get so excited about something, even if it has to be snakes, of all things. Ew!

Noah's hand is getting sweaty, so she pulls her arm free, realizing she's going to have to run to keep up with him now. She sighs. Her new shoes are going to get all grass-stained. She's not looking forward to explaining that to her dads, but for now she's going to try to have fun on this ridiculous field trip. Even though it involves snakes.

"Do any of you kids want to pet this little guy?" the Park Ranger asks the group of students, holding what Rachel fails to see as _little_ at all. In fact, it's even longer than her Princess Rapunzel doll's hair!

"I do!" Noah calls out, as Rachel expects. _Yep,_ she thinks, _he's always got to be the toughest._

Noah takes part of the snake from the Park Ranger and it slithers over his shoulder. He has barely a second to think about how cool this is before the snake wraps itself around his arm. Noah's eyes go wide and he wonders what's going to happen next. He looks around. His friend Finn isn't paying too much attention, but he sees Rachel looking grossed-out. Suddenly, the snake snatches up its head and hisses at Rachel. She screams. Before he knows it, he's slamming the snake down and running after his friend. As awesome as he thinks reptiles are, _nobody_ messes with Rachel Berry on his watch.

"Rachel! Hey, Rachel! Wait up!" he calls, trying not to show that he's expending any energy.

She turns around, tears glistening in her big, brown eyes. If it had been a person who made Rachel cry, Noah would just beat the crap out of him. But he doesn't think he can really beat up a state-owned snake. He's tough, but he's not stupid. So he does the next best thing.

He hugs her. True, Noah is a bit of a brute, but he knows girls like to be hugged when they're scared. Rachel smiles and thanks him, wrapping her arms around him. Noah has a moment to think her hair smells really good before he pulls away. If the hug lasts too long, he'll lose his rep and go from girl magnet to just plain _girl._ And that's so not happening.

Rachel grins gratefully and wipes at her eyes. "You were really brave, Noah," she says.

He scoffs. "I was just being my tough-as-nails self. And a good friend."

Rachel nods, but stays silent for a moment, which is unusual for her. "I was thinking," she begins. "You're really tough, right, Noah?"

He looks at her blankly. "You even have to ask?"

She giggles, and then continues on, "Well, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Noah is probably one of the least tough names on the planet. Right after Mickey."

Noah frowns. Then he realizes she's right. He's been going around being all tough and mighty with a total _girl_ name! It's mortifying! He doesn't know what to say.

Thankfully, Rachel has a solution. "You need a tough nickname."

"Yeah! Like Iron Man or Godzilla!" he agrees animatedly.

Rachel shakes her head. "No. Both of those are taken, dummy. You need something from your own name, something original. Like Puck."

"Puck," he echoes, unsure.

"Yes. Like a hockey puck, right? I know you like football better, but hockey pucks are cool and scary and hockey is a really rough and tough sport. Plus, _I_ heard my Daddy reading an article to my Dad about how one-syllable names are cool right now. Puck sounds cool _and_ intimidating. It's perfect!"

Noah's lips spread in a slow smile. "Berry, you're the best!" he tells her. "Puck," he says again. "Awesome!" He's a badass now. He doesn't say that out loud though. Even if the teacher doesn't hear him, he knows Rachel will rag on him for hours about it. And that will ruin it.

Rachel is happy he likes it. She's forgotten about the snake incident for the most part now, so she tells him they better head back to the reptile barn.

"Noah!" Finn waves, getting his attention when they go back inside. "Is she okay?"

"Puck," he corrects. Finn looks confused. "I'm going by Puck now. It's tough." Puck flexes his arms.

Finn laughs and agrees amicably. "Okay, Puck. Is she okay?" he asks again.

"Berry?" he replies. "Yeah, she's okay. She's better than okay." Puck shoots Rachel a sly grin and laughs when he sees her blush. Finn nods and goes back to pretending to listen to the Park Ranger.

After assuring Mrs. Jensen that she's okay, Rachel waits patiently for the rest of the time in the reptile barn to pass. She knows she won't be disappointed if she never has to come back in here again.

She watches as Noah tells everyone to start calling him Puck. Nobody seems to object, which pleases him. Noah knows he's definitely the toughest, most formidable kid in school now. Not even Karofsky or Azimio will try to start something with him.

On the bus ride back to school, Puck decides to sit next to Rachel. "Did you have fun today?" he asks, waiting for her sarcastic answer.

"Actually, Noah, aside from one or two instances, it wasn't too bad," she responds, surprising him.

Puck grimaces. "I'm Puck now. Remember?"

"You're always going to be Noah to me," she says quietly.

"But you're the one who came up with it!" he protests. He doesn't understand her and often forgets to give up trying.

She places an innocent hand on his knee. "I know you're tough and scary, Noah. I don't need a nickname to prove it or remind me. Besides, someone's got to call you Noah so you don't forget your name. And it should be me since I thought of it, so that _you_ always remember who came up with it. It's…ironic or something," she says easily, watching him.

He doesn't quite understand her reasoning and doesn't know if she does either, but he shrugs. If that will make her happy, he guesses he's okay with it. "As long as you quit inviting me to your house for tea parties."

Rachel's face turns red, but she sticks her hand out and says, "Deal."

He shakes it and gives her the trademark smirk that, later on in his life, would make girls fall into his lap. Literally.

She goes back to looking out the window as he turns to talk to Finn. She is glad the nickname makes him happy, but she doesn't think Noah gets why she won't call him Puck. There's no way she can tell him it's because as tough as he proclaims to be, to her he'll always be a friend; sweet in his own way and in possession of feelings only she can understand.

She can't tell him it's because, despite the front that he puts on, she knows that, underneath it all, Noah Puckerman has a heart. A really, really good one, too.

* * *

Puck stuffs his hands in his pockets as he walks off the bleachers. He doesn't know why he didn't think before that his "relationship" with Berry would end up being a disaster.

He knows he hurt her. He could tell from the look on her face when he told her they weren't friends before.

Sighing, he contemplates turning around and apologizing to her. Then he wonders where that thought even came from. He's a stud now. A badass stud. Just because he used to be friends with Berry all those years ago, before his high school life had unfolded, doesn't mean he owes her anything now, right? But then, why does he feel so damn shitty?

Isn't it bad enough that he's stupid enough to be fucking _in love_ with his best friend's girlfriend? But now he's feeling bad for hurting _Berry's_ feelings? He needs to stop being such a pansy before he turns into Finn, he thinks. He's Puck. Puckzilla. He's a champ. So why the hell does he care if he hurt the feelings of some _nobody?_

He sighs again, frustrated, as he walks towards the school, moping. Because he knows the truth.

Because, when Rachel Berry is around, he's still just fucking Noah.

* * *

Rachel pulls herself out of the memory and tries not to cry. She can't help any of her feelings; she knows that. Sure, she and Noah had grown up and out of each other's friendship. But he said they'd _never_ been friends.

She can't comprehend why it matters so much to her. It's not like she has genuine feelings for him, and she knows he cares more about his "badass-ness" now than he cares about about most people. She supposes it's because she's tired of the hurt and humiliation. She knows Noah feels more than he ever lets on.

She's aware that Noah will hook up with any hot girl ready and willing, but she is also cognizant of the fact that, underneath it all, he loves Quinn Fabray.

Rachel doesn't really understand why. She finds Quinn's personality to leave _plenty_ to be desired. But she also knows, despite the fact that he hurt her, Noah still cares. His love for Quinn proves something.

It proves that, underneath it all, Noah still has a heart. And one that he uses every now and again.

So she'll let that be enough for now.

* * *

**Yes? No? Meh?**

**Review, guys. And let me know your thoughts. I know it wasn't all happy ending and stuff, but I hope that didn't ruin it for you guys.**

**Reviews = Love.**

**Take care.  
Ciao,  
x **


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